Sales

Selling Luxury Products in a Dog's World

2005-10-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

By Hedy Woodrow

One of the fastest growing industries in the United States today is the pet industry. The industry as a whole has increased 20% over the past 5 years and is projected continued growth in the upcoming years. Over the past 10 years, the pet industry has grown to a $34 billion dollar industry. This exceeds what we spend on candy and toys. The candy industry has become a $25 billion dollar industry while the toys are a $20 billion dollar industry.

Pet owners are now professional couples who are opting for pets versus children, retired couples and empty nesters. All with disposable income to spend on their furry little friend.

The fastest growing category with the most opportunity for growth is luxury for pets. After all, now we can get a massage for our pets, an aromatherapy spa treatment, doggy day care is a must in the city and you can even have them picked up by a Rolls Royce to take them for their weekly manicure pawdicure. Even luxury hotels are now offering special menus for our furry companions.

For pet retailers, it is important to understand what the expectations are of the luxury client. Who is the luxury client and what is it that they have come to expect?

The luxury client shops at Chanel, Gucci, Luis Vuitton, Prada and Neiman Marcus to name a few. She stays in 4 and 5 star hotels. She eats at the finest restaurants. She wears designer and she shops designer boutiques because of the experience. She is not price resistent. So what is the experience that she expects you ask?

1. Know her name when she enters the store. Make sure that you and your staff know and understand her lifestyle. She expects service and expects to be waited on.

2. The luxury client expects to work with knowledgable fashion oriented sales associates that understand how to sell a luxury product and are knowledgable in features, advantages and benefits. These sales associates also have an appreciation for luxury items and often purchase for themselves. Associates such as these are seen as credible sources to these clients.

3. Luxury is about an experience. The experience takes them away from their everyday world. The experience may include a glass of champagne or wine, cheese and crackers or tea and scones. A beautiful scent and soothing music as they enter into the environment helps to enhance the experience.

4. Merchandising a luxury product involves a clean presentation of the merchandise that is dust free and featured beautifully in the boutique. Lighting that highlights the product is critical to enhancing the shopping experience.

5. Follow through and communication with the client is paramount. This would include a thank you note after she purchases or stops by the store. Calling her when new product arrives. Calling her on her birthday, knowing important events in her life such as her anniversary, knowing the name of her husband and children. All are about the personal attention and care that you and your team provide.

Most importantly, understand what designer products mean in the pet world. A handbag pet carrier for example should have an average price point of $600.00+. www.designerpaws.com features carriers made of 100% Italian leather and are handmade. In pet clothing, an average price point of over $150.00, and pet beds should be at an average price point of over $400.00. Too many vendors are promoting designer products which in reality are poor in quality and construction and are priced well below a designer price point. Be cautious of what you carry in your store that is featured as designer as this can very well turn away the client that you are looking to attract. Most importantly, staff your store with people that understand how to attract, sell and grow a luxury client base.

Hedy Woodrow is the CEO of Designer Paws International. Designer Paws specializes in luxury pet carriers that are fashionable for a sophisticated client. Prior to starting Designer Paws, Hedy spent 20 years in the luxury fashion business as a Senior Vice President of Retail for a major luxury brand. Her broad retail experience included managing stores, buyers, visual teams, inventory control teams and planners and distribution teams. She has traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe attending high profile celebrity events that have given her exposure to a very high end client. Her insights come from personal experience both as a leader in the fashion industry and as a client. Her website at http://www.designerpaws.com features luxury products that are unique to the pet industry.

11 Rules for Selling to a Skeptic

2005-10-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

By William R. Patterson

Let’s face it: the greatest accomplishment for a member of the sales community is closing a deal with a skeptic. Many who are proficient at this art agree that it is far more gratifying to convince someone who initially felt your product was not necessary that it indeed is, than to complete what the industry terms an “easy sell.” Lucky for us all, plenty of doubters buy products and services everyday. Let us examine eleven of the fundamental techniques used by those who succeed in persuading the worst of cynics.

1. Know your product/service

Know it inside and out, backwards and forwards. You should know its strengths, weaknesses, and any proprietary features. Also understand the factors that influence its supply and demand. All of these will strengthen your presentation and help the skeptic make a more informed purchasing decision. There should be nothing that anyone can tell you about what you solicit. You will definitely be asked questions, so be prepared to demonstrate all aspects of your product/service in response.

2. Know your prospect

Along with knowing your product comes knowing your prospect. Strive to know all you can about your target demographic and potential clients. Make sure you deal with the decision maker. You should know their purchasing habits, what motivation determines their choice, and how long a buying decision takes. You must understand how your product fits into their overall purchasing strategy. When you know the buying habits of your prospect, you can use it to develop a longer-term sales plan—that means repeat business. Put yourself in the most favorable position to get a “yes” by focusing on what most concerns your prospect.

3. Believe in your own words

You will never be effective selling something you do not believe in, particularly to someone who is already skeptical. Your lack of enthusiasm will be an obvious as you attempt to convince your potential buyer. When you emanate passion and confidence, you break down the wall of doubt the cynic has built. To not be a pillar of strength during your presentation is a sure-fire ticket to an abrupt “no.” If you are lucky enough to sell a product you do not believe in, you still lose because you risk killing referral business and losing the trust of your customer.

4. Be transparent

Too often, we give strong pitches with lots of hype and little information. We will say, “If you want these benefits, buy my product.” This is done with the hope that a prospect’s curiosity about your bold claims will be enough to convince them to purchase. The idea that if you divulge too much information, you could dissuade your prospect is a far too common falsehood. Be prepared to give as much information as needed to convince the potential buyer to make a purchase. Transparency builds trust. Things people do not understand will always be greeted with “no.” The more information available when making a purchasing decision, the more likely they are to say “yes.” Another benefit of being transparent is the more resources you divulge free of charge, the more likely you are to generate interest in your product/service.

5. Gain trust by associating yourself with things they respect

By offering endorsements and testimonials, especially from well-known sources that your target market respects, you strike the chord of “trust.” Many a skeptic has purchased based on the recommendations of individuals they respect. Secure associations along these lines and look to align yourself with trusted agencies through strategic partnerships. Major endorsements mean less resistance and lots of sales.

6. Offer a free trial, incentive, bargain, or guarantee

The structure of your offer can play a key role in building trust and enticing your prospect to buy. There are many variations of each, but incentives and guarantees are great ways to gain your potential buyer’s confidence. Guarantees and free trails allow the skeptic to try the product/service before determining if your offer is a good fit. Incentives and discounts are also valuable tactics as they make the cynic feel they are getting a value. People always love the feeling of getting something for free and buying when it is a low/no-risk transaction. By guaranteeing the quality of your product/service, you disarm the skeptic and encourage them to buy. You also communicate an important message that you are confident in what you sell.

7. Compare and differentiate yourself from your competitors

Know the nature of your business. Is it commodity based, where the low price bidder wins? Is the strength of your brand a factor? Is there something unique about your offer? You must understand your competitors and their advantages and disadvantages. Once you have both the knowledge of your competitors and an understanding of the skeptic’s needs, you can choose the most effective marketing angle. We offer such phrases as:

“The lowest cost”…you play to the desire for value
“The official”…you validate for authenticity
“The best”…you show superiority
“The only”…you offer exclusivity

If possible, demonstrate the differences that make your product/service unique or superior.

8. Sell the relationship, not the product

Contrary to popular belief, the best salespeople not only close deals, they foster relationships. Relationships are more valuable to both you and the prospect than a one-time transaction. For the salesperson, relationships bring repeat business and the ability to cross-market your offerings; increased referrals because you gain access to the prospect’s network base, and the ability to charge a premium because of the higher perceived value of your relationship. For the skeptic, relationships help build trust. These bonds let them know they will not be abandoned after the transaction is finished. Ultimately, they are buying a relationship with you and your firm, not the product/service, so approach selling that way.

9. Focus on benefits offered and value delivered

Self-interest is the skeptic’s primary concern, so focus on how your product/service solves their problem, fulfills their need, or satisfies their desire. If your prospect is solely bottom-line focused, your presentation should be centered on how your product or service will make or save them money. If your product satisfies a desire, focus on how it fills an emotional void. Emotional selling differs from bottom-line selling because it focuses on feelings rather than metrics. Remember to focus on the benefits that concern your potential buyer; anything else will make a skeptic lose interest and you lose the sale.

10. Isolate their objection

In life and business, two of the greatest challenges are making intelligent decisions and properly following through on them. One of your fundamental goals as a salesperson is to help people make informed decisions. To do so, ask two types of questions: those to better understand your potential buyer and his/her needs, and questions designed to lead your prospect to buy. A series of well-placed questions will allow you to isolate any objections. You should brainstorm every possible reason a skeptic will not buy from you and comprise an effective solution or rebuttal for each. Any other question should be crafted in a way that allows for only one reasonable answer, and that answer should compel your prospect to agree with you.

11. Don’t seem desperate!

Your emotional state will be apparent to a skeptic. Never appear as though you “need” a sale. Everyone avoids a hard-pressed individual. Often we are conditioned to give to and buy from those who do not need our money. It is the same principle that makes us more likely give a rich man fifty-cents to make phone call because he has no change, than to a homeless man in need who makes the same request. Therefore, it is imperative that you operate from a mindset of abundance. Understand there is always a bigger sale out there, so you need not be pressed for this one. Your confidence will put the cynic at ease and make them more likely to buy from you.

Once internalized, these 11 points will mesh into an effective sales strategy. You will begin to think of them not as individual points to be mastered, but one comprehensive selling technique. They are designed to compliment each other and give you a thorough footing for selling to those who are naturally doubtful about you and your service. Master them and win!

Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton are co-authors of the acclaimed business and personal finance National Bestseller, The Baron Son: Vade Mecum 7. Vicky Davis is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indulgence Jewelry Corp. William Patterson is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Warcoffer Capital Group, LLC. D. Marques Patton is Co-founder and President of The Warcoffer Capital group, LLC. To receive their breakthrough book and over $3,631 in FREE bonus gifts, visit: http://www.baronseries.com

Sales Conflict Vs. Cooperation

2005-10-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

By Frank Rumbauskas

There are two main types of communication that take place in selling situations:
conflict and cooperation. Which type of communication you’re using will have a
profound impact on whether or not you get the sale.

Conflict takes place as the result of the vast majority of sales processes and especially as the result of those taught in traditional sales training, which usually goes as follows: The salesperson initiates the sales process through a cold call.
Because the prospect does not expect or anticipate the call, sales resistance
automatically exists and the salesperson is forced to overcome it. This is conflict.
When the first appointment takes place, the prospect again has his defenses up in
anticipation of a pushy sales pitch. As a result, frivolous objections are thrown out that the salesperson must overcome. More conflict. At the end of the appointment, the salesperson must secure a time for a second appointment in order to present a proposal. The prospect says to call next week for a time, but the salesperson wants to secure it now. Even more conflict. The second appointment takes place, the proposal is presented, the salesperson asks for the order, and now the prospect really has objections. Conflict. The salesperson works to overcome them and then uses a sleazy technique such as the infamous alternate close to again ask for the order. Conflict at its worst.

Now let’s take a look at a sale where the state of mind is not conflict but cooperation:

The prospect learns of the salesperson’s offering through the salesperson’s thoughtful, organized self-marketing plan. The prospect contacts the salesperson and asks for a meeting, to which the salesperson of course agrees. Cooperation.
During the first appointment, the prospect willingly explains the need that exists
and the salesperson listens and takes down all pertinent information. They mutually
agree to a time to review a solution. Cooperation. The day for the proposal
appointment arrives and the prospect is excited to finally learn of a way to solve his problem. The salesperson presents it and the prospect agrees that it looks great. More cooperation. There is no need for the salesperson to engage in any ethically questionable closing tactics because the prospect sees the value in the proposal and simply buys. Cooperation at its finest.

Ask yourself, do your sales processes look more like the first or second example? If you’re experiencing conflict instead of cooperation with your prospects, perhaps it’s time for you to drop the old methods of prospecting and selling and learn a new way that fosters goodwill and cooperation. The answer is self-marketing. Instead of annoying people with cold calling and pushing them to buy with tacky closes, it will induce qualified prospects to call you and simply agree to buy.

Frank Rumbauskas is the author of Cold Calling Is A Waste Of Time: Sales Success In The Information Age and The Sales Mastery Program. His focus is on teaching salespeople and sales organizations how to stop cold calling and replace it with smart self-marketing that will bring in a steady supply of qualified, eager-to-buy prospects. For more information please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com.

Selling Deck Washing Services in Your Power Wash Business

2005-10-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

By Lance Winslow

Selling deck cleaning and washing services takes a little practice. Additionally once you do a good job, often you can secure a second job, which pays even more to put a coating or treat the wood. Once you are done with this, well it is time for referrals, which you are sure to get merely by giving them a stack of five business cards for their friends.

Spring and fall are always a perfect time for home maintenance in fact they are the best seasons in the deck care profession. Let your potential clients know that you have a professional staff at your company and you are here to help. Your customers should know that if they have a new deck they need to seal it now before the elements can do more damage. You need to study up on all the various types of woods, composites and coatings in the deck industry, then use this information and tell your customer that;

“Our extensive knowledge of woods and sealers ensures your satisfaction. We use top quality sealers that do not contain wax. Most retail brand water sealers cost considerably less to make, are wax-like, and are only designed for short-term protection of your wood. Using the highest quality product is always the best choice.” And “If you deck has been around for a while transform it from a worn, gray finish, to a rich appearance that looks like new with our maintenance restoration process.”

If the wood surface is not properly cleaned before pressure washing, live mold spores can be forced deep into the wood causing decay from within the wood. Improper use of high pressure washers will crush and destroy the top layer of wood causing dangerous splintering, uneven wear, furring, and small wood slivers. Only qualified contractors should operate this equipment. That means this is your chance to tell them the best way to care for their deck and why you are the best one to do it. Tell your customer that your unique cleaning process safely removes dirt, mildew, and algae, leaving wood clean and ready for maximum coating penetration and performance. Let them know that you use a biodegradeable brightener and cleaner, specially formulated that will not kill their plants or discolor their lawn and by all means guarantee incredible restoration results, if you are certain the deck is savable.

The customer must know that it is essential to seal their deck so that it lasts for years...not just one season. Show them by doing a sample how you will clean, seal and maintain their deck so that it will remain protected for years to come, and be sure that they understand you price guarantees for the best value over your competition. In addition to decks, be sure to offer such services as cleaning the fences, gazebos, concrete, walkways, driveways and vinyl siding on their home.

Lastly do not forget to tell them of your two million in liability insurance and that your machines are quiet and your crews are professional and in uniform. Always give a personalized quote and never BS a potential client, if you do not know, tell them and then tell them you will find out. Then make sure to get back to them on time with the correct answer. Think on all this, to make your business the best.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Prescription for Success: The Role of the Pharmacy Call in Pharmaceutical Sales

2005-10-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

By Sally Bacchetta

After the countless hours of product training and skill development and relationship building, your efforts culminate when a prescription is filled at the pharmacy.

When you consider that pharmacists talk to the same physicians that you talk to, about treating the same patients that you talk about treating, it’s obvious that pharmacists play a vital role in your success.

Why wait any longer to establish or improve your relationships with pharmacists in your territory?

A licensed pharmacist is a pharmaceutical specialist. Although physicians are experts in disease diagnosis and treatment, pharmacists are experts in pharmaceutical disease management.

Many physicians rely on pharmacists to train patients to use metered-dose inhalers, blood pressure monitors and injectable medications. Physicians also assume that pharmacists will monitor potential drug-drug interactions and recommend appropriate drug substitutions.

A pharmacist is a patient care provider. He or she is a link between patients and medical professionals, and can triage routine illnesses like a cough, cold or the flu. Patients count on their pharmacist to tell them how to take their medications, what outcome to expect, and how to react if something goes wrong.

A pharmacist is a pharmaceutical sales partner. Pharmacy support is crucial for successful pull-through programs, patient education, and supplemental physician contact. A pharmacist may be able to provide information about managed care formularies and drug pricing, as well as alert you to patient questions or concerns.

Pharmacy calls are sales presentations

Successful pharmaceutical sales reps prepare and execute pharmacy calls with the same care as they approach physician calls.

Conduct basic pre-call planning to identify your goal for the call. Do you need authorization to display prescription vouchers or coupons? Do you want to inform the pharmacy staff about a new drug launch? It should only take a few minutes to mentally outline what you hope to accomplish, but those few minutes make a difference.

Begin each call with an introduction and a statement of purpose. Most people recognize you before they remember your name, so until you have developed a relationship, put the pharmacist at ease by re-introducing yourself on each call.

Get right to the point of your visit. A clear statement of purpose will help the pharmacist assess how much time they need to spend with you, and whether or not they can afford that time right now. “May I have two minutes of your time to tell you about a new indication for Hoozlefritz extended release tabs?” is more helpful to a pharmacist than, “Hi! I’m the new Hoozlefritz rep.”

Deliver your information succinctly and factually. Pharmacists do not prescribe medications and do not want to be “sold” on the merits of your product. They do, however, want to know the indication, dosing, mechanism of action (MOA), pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profile, and occurrence of side effects. This is vital information for their consultations with physicians and patients.

Close your call by asking, “What can I do to be a resource for you and your customers?

Here are specific suggestions from pharmacists in three different settings that you are likely to encounter in your territory: retail chain, independent and hospital pharmacies.

Retail chain pharmacists’ recommendations:

Develop partnerships with pharmacists. Paul, a New York state-licensed pharmacist, points out that he and physicians and pharmaceutical reps all have the same goal: to provide excellent patient care. “We are all interdependent. The cycle starts with the drug companies and links to the physicians and the pharmacists, who link directly with the patients. We’re all in the patient care business.”

Suzanne, a licensed pharmacist in Tennessee, agrees. “My customers are the drug rep’s end customers. For both of us, “success” means making our customers healthier.”

Chain pharmacists across the country agree that pharmaceutical reps can be more effective if they DO:

• Provide the pharmacist with objective clinical information.

• Invite pharmacists to educational programs with physicians, or sponsor separate programs for their local pharmacy organization.

• Follow through on what they say they are going to do.
• Respect the pharmacist’s time.

• Offer your business card every time. Make it easy for pharmacy staff to contact you.

• Inform pharmacists of any prescription voucher, rebate or coupon programs ahead of time. This gives pharmacy staff time to learn the quirks of the program so that they can facilitate patient uptake.

Paul says, “One of the drug reps in the area launched a prior auth product in a crowded therapeutic class. I stocked her vouchers at each of my stores, and she informed her target physicians of this. Physicians appreciated the simplicity, patients were happy about getting a free trial, I benefited from the increase in customer traffic, and this rep led the country in sales.”

DON’T:

• Make pharmacy sales calls on Mondays or early in the morning.

• Ask a pharmacist to stock your product “to be ready for the first prescription”.
• Ask a pharmacist for confidential information, such as, “Which doctors are writing my product?”

Independent pharmacists’ recommendations:
Masood runs a small chain of independent pharmacies in southern California. To him, respect is the most important element of a sales call. “Some reps think that because I am not a big name chain that I am not as important, or maybe they do not need to be polite with me. But that is not the way to think of it. I am very busy here, with many customers every day. The smart reps know that I am a big business for them in this city.”

Consensus of independent pharmacists is that reps will be more successful if they DO:

• Provide NDC #’s.

• Understand that pharmacy customers are the first priority. Be patient.

• Educate the pharmacist about potential side effects.

• Ask for the opportunity to schedule an educational lunch presentation.

• Treat independent pharmacists as well as they treat chain pharmacists.

“I’ve worked in both settings, and I’ve seen a lot of drug reps overlook independent pharmacies”, says Alan, a pharmacist in Wisconsin. “Maybe they think that because we’re small we’re not “real” pharmacists. But we have the same educational background, and we have the same interactions with doctors and patients as any other licensed pharmacist.”

DON’T:

• Ask for confidential information.
• Ask a pharmacist to stock your product without a prescription.

• “Sell” the pharmacist.

Hospital pharmacists’ recommendations:

A hospital pharmacy may serve only inpatients, only outpatients, or a blend of the two. Inpatient pharmacies are usually restricted to stocking products that are on the hospital formulary. Hospital-based outpatient pharmacies operate like any other retail pharmacies. They are not usually restricted to the hospital formulary.

Tim is a hospital pharmacist in Maine who welcomes drug reps. “Reps are a great source of information for me. I know that if I tell a rep that a patient had an unusual reaction to their drug, the rep is going to pass that on to their company to investigate. Drug companies are highly motivated to check it out and follow up, which helps me serve my customers better.”

Recommendations for pharmaceutical reps when calling on hospital pharmacies. DO:

• Ask about scheduling an educational lunch presentation.

• Ask for information about the formulary process; offer yourself as a resource for information.

• Ask about the schedule for the hospital P&T committee.

• Know your drug. Be prepared to clarify and support any information that is included in your product PI.

DON’T:

• Ask for a list of physicians who are on the P&T committee.

• Pressure the pharmacist to stock product without a prescription.

• Make a sales call without a clear reason for the call.

Which brings us back to the bottom line: Pharmacy calls are sales presentations. And just like prescriber calls, pharmacy calls are powerful tools to improve patient care and drive your business.

If you make the effort to develop productive relationships, you will find that every pharmacist in your territory is an extra person on your sales team!

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning sales trainer and freelance writer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including selling skills, motivation, and pharmaceutical sales.

You can contact her at sb14580@yahoo.com and read her latest articles on her website.

Sales Success Secrets for the 4th Quarter

2005-10-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

By Greg Beverly

This is the beginning of the fourth and final quarter of the year. Today is the day to make your move forward. The time for excuses, the time for waiting is over. It's now or never. If not today, then when?

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who
get up and look for the circumstances they want, and
if they cannot find them, make them." ---George Bernard Shaw

Has this year been all that it could have been? Have you left some on the table because you lacked certain skills or the energy, courage and persistence you needed to practice those skills?

Are you getting the results that you really believe that you are capable of? Have you done all the things you need to do to reach the level of success that you dream of?

There are valuable lessons to be learned with each and every setback or temporary challenge we encounter. Are you getting all you can from these challenges? Are you learning and taking steps to benefit from those learnings? Are you taking action?

Success comes to those that are ready. They have learned all the valuable lessons. But, there will be resistance all along the way. Resistance from others who will belittle your ideas and resistance from within yourself.. Hopefully, we have all learned to ignore those who love to critique while taking no action themselves. The most dangerous of these two forms of resistance is without a doubt the resistance that comes from within. "I need to wait until I am ready." "I need to wait until I have more time." "I need to wait until things settle down." "I need to wait until I get things in order." To know all you need to know about these excuses, simply read the first four words and then you can stop...because you know all you have to know..."I need to wait..." If I had a dollar for every time I have heard the phrase, "I know what I need to do, I just have to do it," I would be writing to you from my private island in the Carribean. The only logical response to that question, is "So...how long have you known?"

With resistance must come persistence. No matter what the difficulty you must decide that you are bigger than this challenge and you will overcome it. Sometimes...no many times that means overcoming yourself.

If you are struggling with mediocrity or worse, the first place to start is with yourself, with your mindset and your beliefs. Without the proper mindset, without the commitment to succeed, without the willingness to step outside your comfort zone, all the tools and strategies in the world will only lead to mediocrity.

Now is a fantastic time to really focus and put your foot on the accelerator. Finish up tasks that you have been putting on the back burner and persist in getting them done.

TAKE ACTION.

What do you know you should be doing? What skills do you need to develop or improve? How can you change your mindset for success, re-charge your desire and create new revenue and profit streams?

Persist. Make it a habit over the next couple of days to finish what you start. Be committed to finishing this year where you belong...on top.

Get serious. Get focused. Stop with the excuses. Start living the life you were meant to live.

Here's to your best quarter yet.

I KNOW you can do it.

Greg Beverly is a Sales Coach and Teacher with more than 21 years of sales, marketing and business experience. Take your first step toward reaching your life's dreams today by visiting http://www.salessuccess.yougethelp.com

Mobile Car Wash Sales at Office Buildings

2005-10-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

By Lance Winslow

When attempting to secure new clients for a mobile car wash business you will have to pound the pavement and do so on-site sales. There is no substitute for this, you cannot send a brochure, do not waste you money. You cannot call them or fax them, don’t waste your time. So then you ask; “Who's the best person from the building management to contact to set up a contract or agreement to provide car washing services at their location?

If you are trying to secure a large office complex or office building it behooves you to contact the largest company in the building first and talk with their human resource department. The building folks or property management company wants to keep them happy. Another possible contact first and I hate to say this because all lawyers should be killed, but often a law firm which requests services is somehow more respected by the building management to get a request in. If this does not work then you should contact the property managers directly and perhaps drop some names and indicate you did discuss things with their tenants and that they suggested you come see them at the property management company. You should do you homework and know everything in advance about the company and their requirements for insurance and those who do work on the property in advance. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

Free & Low Cost Fundraisers for Non Profit Organizations

2005-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

By Sandra Sims

Is your non profit organization operating on a shoestring budget? Take heart, you're certainly not the only ones! Many community groups, schools and other social impact organizations have very tight budgets and are dedicated to putting the money they do have toward their mission. So what do you do when it comes to fundraising? Does it really "take money to make money" as the old saying goes?

One of the best fundraising strategies is to plan fundraisers that require very little upfront cost. This can be accomplished through sales fundraisers, collection drives and sponsorships.

Sales Fundraisers

Many product sale fundraisers do not require an upfront purchase. Product fundraisers, such as candy, magazines or plant sales are
very popular and could be a good solution for your organization.

If you have a large group of volunteers to sell the items, your sales fundraiser will be more successful. Each volunteer would just need to sell a few items for the entire group to raise a lot of money. You may find that you have some very dedicated "super sellers" who help push through to meet the fundraising goals.

Collection Drives

Partnering with businesses for a collection drive is another way to raise funds at no cost. Box Tops for Education is one example of this. This program will help schools earn up to $20,000 each year by clipping box tops from specially marked grocery products.

Recycling drives are another way to raise money for your cause. Your group can partner with recycling centers to collect newspapers or cans and get money back from the recycling center. Other programs such as cell phone recycling can also be profitable ways to raise funds. These drives also have a secondary outcome of helping to promote conservation and environmental awareness.

Collection drives are normally ongoing projects and may take several months to collect enough of the items to get a sizable redemption reward. A short term drive or "blitz" could also be successful with a large amount of community participation and dedicated work by your volunteers.

Donations and Sponsorships

Events such as dinner fundraisers normally require supplies to be paid for in advance. However, getting support in advance from businesses and individuals will help offset the cost of producing event fundraisers.

There are many ways that donations and sponsorships can support a fundraising event. For example, you could contact a local printer and ask that they donate printing for your mailings, programs or flyers. A corporate sponsorship program would allow
businesses to "underwrite" costs for the event by making a financial contribution and in return the business gets advertising and publicity.

Finally, fundraisers such as silent auctions and raffles can be planned based solely upon donations of prizes by local businesses and individuals.

Reducing upfront costs and getting donations and sponsorships are keys to having a successful fundraiser.

Sandra Sims has been fundraising for various charities for over 10 years and is dedicated to helping non profits raise more for their causes. Visit her website Step By Step Fundraising to learn more about free and low cost fundraisers such as online magazine sales and raffles.

Principles of Selling for Professional Practices - What Process Works for You?

2005-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Graham Yemm

In this time of seeming constant change, no professional practices or firms can be complacent about their future. The threats come from various directions, some obvious and visible such as larger merged firms or new starts, and some less so, such as internet services. Unless you take these seriously, what does your future hold? It is important that, regardless of size, you look seriously at what you do to generate fees and to find new clients. This article covers some of the key aspects you need to think about and gives some ideas for how you can be more proactive and more effective in generating revenues. We offer some things to think about for identifying the best ways you can do this for your practice and the type of market you work in. If you start to apply these principles you can build a more sustainable business with more guaranteed revenue flow.

Traditionally, most professional firms have had to grow through forms of networking, referrals and personal relationships, because of legal restrictions. However, these constraints have been removed and, the market dynamics have changed in many areas. The “New World” requires you to operate differently if you want to survive. However, the first prejudice to overcome is your own reaction to the word “sell” and to rethink what it means. After all, you did not do all of your training to become a “seller” did you? Why should this thinking be so prevalent? In our society, one of the biggest barriers is the public perception of selling and sales people. How are they usually portrayed in our media? No wonder you do not want to be thought of like this! Yet, it is a misrepresentation if you think about how many people are involved in selling jobs every day of the week. They are working in a very different way, where they are behaving professionally and, generally, with integrity.

What are your concerns about selling? How people might perceive you? You do not like the idea of pushing people? The good news is that effective, professional selling does not have to be about this! Dictionary definitions will tell you that selling is about “convincing of value”. If you are to do that, you need to establish the right kind of relationship with clients and prospects, where you can find what their real issues are and what they consider as value – and then show them how you can satisfy that. The fun part of selling is that value is an individual perception and will change according to the circumstances too. Rather than think of yourself as a “seller”, what about a “provider of value”, “solution provider”, “problem remover” or similar? Do any of these seem better? When we were working with one accounting practice it made a great difference when the main players rethought this and saw themselves in another light. They became much more positive and had success with approaching existing and potential clients with this mindset (and some added skills we had developed with them!)

Whatever size your organisation is, there will be threats happening in your market. As many firms merge and grow, they can offer wider ranges of services to clients. Others look to establish relationships with organisations in different, but synergistic, areas where are opportunities can be generated for each other. For simple services which can be commoditised, the internet may be a threat where some clients will think they can do things for themselves. There is an answer to this – decide to become proactive in your sales effort. (Or would you prefer “fee generating”?)

To move from the more traditional, reactive style of your market to a proactive one, creating your own opportunities, does require a number of changes. These start with the people being willing to change their attitudes. For those who will not, ask them what is stopping them? What do they think they gain by staying as they are? However, it is better to start with those who are more positive and happy to move in the direction you want. We are not suggesting that your practice or firm becomes like the American law firm (and a few leading City ones) where future success and promotion is almost totally linked to billable hours and revenues generated with the mega-hours and pushy culture that often goes with it!

One early step to take is to identify the sales process which works best for your organisation and in your market. Whether people like it or not, consistently good performers will follow a process, albeit with some flexibility. This means that they can deliver results consistently. When “modelling” top performers from an investment bank, this caused something of a surprise as they thought that their successful people were all more opportunistic and entrepreneurial! These could be successful – occasionally!! Good sales organisations are clear about their process and use it for a number of things. We have examples we are happy to share.

When you have identified each stage of your process, then it is possible to break them down into best practice activities. From these, you can check the competencies needed to be able to work though them. This allows you to provide any necessary training or development to ensure that the skills are embedded.

Those who are going to do the revenue generation can now plan their prospect and client contacts more effectively. They also can be better prepared for meetings and assess how well they are progressing.

The other major benefit when you have assessed your process is that you can see where the critical control points are. From this, you can create the sales control system to measure how things are going. This tool is vital to any form of effective sales management as it puts the focus on the activity leading to the results, which is where you can take any necessary corrective action. You can set standards for the various stages and also work out the ratios needed to ensure that you achieve the desired results. This enables you to measure the right things – and will help more accurate forecasting too.

When this is in place, it becomes much easier to assign roles and responsibilities. Who will manage the process? Who are the doers? Who are the support staff? Pulling all of this together has produced some significant improvements in organisations where we have worked. Where this particular process was developed (a bank outside the UK) they have seen a considerable growth in sales, product retention rather than cancellation, and staff retention in this area.

There is another key element to this. What style or approach to selling will work best for your firm. In the professional services sector you will almost certainly want to have some emphasis on relationships and maybe a relationship selling model. An alternative to this, which is perhaps even more applicable especially for new business generation is to introduce a consultative selling approach. This requires an emphasis on communication skills, relationship building and knowledge of your business and the prospect’s market place – plus sales skills. Consultative sellers will help clients and prospects to identify the real issues they are facing and to create a sense of partnership in helping to find a solution. In the short-term, the solution may not be what you offer, or someone else could be better positioned to supply it. However, getting into the right “mindspace” of the client or prospect will pay off in the future.

We have seen many professional services firms make significant progress when they have changed their attitude to selling and introduced the processes and skills. It is not about selling your soul to the devil, it is about becoming more proactive and effective in “convincing of value”. This will enable your firm to take more control of its destiny and to generate the revenues you need to achieve the plans you have.

Graham Yemm has over 20 experience as a consultant. He runs a UK based consultancy, Solutions 4 Training Ltd and works both in the UK and internationally with organisations helping them to develop their sales strategy, processes and skills. He can be contacted at http://www.solutions4training.com/>Solutions 4 Training or +44 1483 480656

How to Genuinely Enjoy Cold Calling

2005-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

By Ari Galper

Most of us dread our days of making cold calls. We take a deep breath, pump ourselves up, and prepare to talk with a perfect stranger. Is there any wonder a gray cloud sometimes hangs over our desk? It really doesn't have to be this way. Cold calling can be an interesting, intriguing, fulfilling adventure.

Five perspectives that will (honestly!) create enjoyment in your cold calling

that will give you an entirely new outlook on cold calling. When you apply these new perspectives, cold calling can actually be enjoyable. It can become personally fulfilling as well as financially rewarding.

1. Focus on Helping the Other Person

It’s against our nature as human beings to create an uncomfortable situation with another person. That’s the core reason many of us get that knot in our stomach when we start dialing a cold call.
When we’re only focused on making the sale, this is not a natural meeting place for both people. We want the sale, but the other person usually wants us to go away. Being intrusive is not the finest of character traits, and on some level we know it.
So how can we feel good about cold calling? We change our mindset from getting the sale into being helpful. We look at cold calling as an opportunity to assist.
How can we possibly feel uncomfortable doing that? Helping people is one of the best character traits we possess.
When cold calling is aligned with our very best way of being, it becomes an adventure. We truly want to help people. We feel very good about this, and it shows in our voice. People hear it. And their response will surprise you.

2. Be Honest and Truthful

You’re in a very good place when you choose to be truthful in your cold calling. If you’re not trying to fool anyone, you naturally feel better about making the call. You know that you’re trustworthy. And people respond to you in a positive way.
When you approach a potential client with integrity and common sense, you’re more personable and less tense. Being fully honest is one of your better attributes. And it gives you an opportunity to enjoy the interaction rather than being artificial or manipulative.
People do seem to have a sixth sense about integrity. When they feel you can be trusted, you can truly shine as a person as well as a potential supplier.

3. Be Yourself

Engage people in natural conversation. The more natural you are, the more comfortable you will feel. This makes the other person feel more comfortable as well.
Avoid playing a role, especially reading from a script. Most people can tell when you’re using a script. There’s nothing personal about it, and they pick up on that.
Being artificial puts you in the “typical salesperson” category, which is exactly the role most of us detest. It doesn’t feel authentic. And unless you’re a born actor, it makes you feel skittish about cold calling.
Give yourself permission to follow the rhythm of natural interaction. Allow the conversation to “breathe.” Let it be the kind of conversation you would have with a friend.
Practice this and it can turn your cold calls into pleasant conversations. And you may actually look forward to meeting that new person the next time you pick up the phone.

4. Get into the Other Person’s World

Shift your mindset away from what you have to offer and focus instead on what their problem is.
So many of us have been trained think about our services and products, that we don’t think about the client’s point of view. We aren’t really interested in their issues and how we can help solve them.
Be interested in their world and their challenges. You’ll find this intriguing. Most of us have a natural flair for problem solving. We enjoy “fixing things.” So find out what’s going on with the person you’re talking to.
Make sure the solution you have really does “fix it.” Get rid of any hidden agendas and truly listen. Let them know you’re interested in them and their world.
Move outside your own sales agenda to focus on the needs of others. This makes you a better human being and helps you leap past the fear of cold calling.

5. Let Go of Expectations

Never assume anything beforehand. Allow the conversation to be one of exploration and discovery. Stay focused on the dialogue instead of any private agenda.
Determine whether it makes sense to continue the conversation by truly listening. Never presume your prospect should buy what you have to offer, even when it seems they’re a perfect fit.
You are not calling to create a situation that is focused on your personal gain, but on helping the other person. Simply have a conversation to explore whether you can help them in some way. This takes pressure off both of you. You’ll be more relaxed and they’ll be more honest about where they stand.
Believe me, once you start applying these perspectives it will transform your day-to-day worklife. Instead of dreading cold calling, you’ll anticipate the adventure of creating a situation where everybody wins.

Increase Your Sales FASTER Dealing with "I'll Think It Over"

2005-10-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

By Alan Boyer

Do you frequently hear this from a prospect?

“I’ll Think It Over.”

What does this mean? It usually means that either

The prospect doesn’t know how to say No, or There are real questions he doesn’t have the answers to that he will be looking for. He might want to price shop. Some clients are just procrastinators; they don’t make quick decisions, or will never make a decision. and
Something was missed earlier in the sales process.

So, could this have been avoided before it got this far? Possibly. The problem is that the longer the prospect delays, the less likely you'll close this deal. I see sales close ratios go up when my clients start using dealing with this before it happens, and handling it quickly when it does happen.

When your hear "I'll think it over," it is an indication that a step in the sales process was missed by not clarifying what the prospect’s decision making process was and when a decision would be made. Following the sales process step by step, and making sure that the prospect has discovered all of the right answers for himself before going for the close can increase your close ratio by multiple times. If you are hearing this frequently it is an strong indication that something is missing in your sales process.

Let’s break this up into:

How could we have avoided this?
Dealing with it now that you’ve got it.

How Could We Have Avoided This?

During the sales process make sure to ask a few key questions: 1) If the prospect can make the decision, or does he have to check with someone else. 2) What is the decision making process? What is his major concerns? If they are all answered is there any reason that he wouldn’t move forward?

Then restate the situation: “Let’s see then, if [this problem, or that problem were resolved]….. then you would decide to move forward?” (Now you have an agreement to make a decision and move forward if all of his questions are answered.). 3) Is Price the major concern or is one of the other concerns he stated more important? (One last heck on his concerns).

Dealing With It Now That You’ve Got the Stalling Tactic

“That sounds reasonable. You know, when I hear that I become a little concerned that something is bothering you. Is there something

You’re unsure of
Your still looking for or
I didn’t answer to your satisfaction?

Some other questions:

What is it that you’re still looking for that I might be able to clarify now?
Would you share your concerns with me?”

This will frequently get the prospect to open his concerns to you rather than walking away. Then provide the answers that are needed to close the deal.

Don’t argue with anything the prospect says. Provide a logical, positive answer.

The longer the prospect delays the less likely you will get the sale.

And, if the prospect didn't really need your product and didn't know how to say no, you'll clear this up quickly so that you don't waste your valuable time. There is nothing more frustrating than calling a client over and over to hear, I'll get back to you .... later and it never happening.

Following these steps you will see your sales increase FASTER. If you'd like to receive more Hints and Tips to Increase Your Sales, send an email to Alan Boyer.

Alan Boyer, President, of The Leader’s Perspective, LLC, one of the world's leading breakthrough specialists, helping companies find the breakthroughs that multiply them in weeks. His small business clients often double, some have jumped 10 times.

Helping companies worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible...FASTER

http://www.leaders-perspective.com/Small-Business-Help.aspx
Contact Alan at AlanBoyer@leaders-perspective.com

Are You The Complete Sales Package

2005-10-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

By Jim Meisenheimer

Are you the consummate sales professional?

Do you have what it takes to do what it takes to run circles around your competition?

Last Sunday and Monday I was hanging out with six of my Speaking buddies in Chicago and we talked about everything under the sun including the word competency. It's an interesting word. Webster's Dictionary says it means - sufficient means for one's needs, adequate, ability, and fitness.

On page 298 of my dictionary you'll find these three words, compete, competence, and complete. Here's how I see it. If you're going to compete, you must have competence, and it must be complete - no missing pieces.

Can you pass this sales fitness (Selling Skills) test?

I'll be using the word "System" a few times. A system is defined as a method or a plan, an established way of doing something - in writing. Whereas to improvise is to do things on the spur of the moment.

1. Do you have a system for working new leads? Or do you improvise?

2. Do you have a system for making appointments using the telephone? Or do you improvise?

3. Do you have a system for qualifying your prospects? Or do you improvise?

4. Do you have a system for quantifying your prospect's pain? Or do you improvise?

5. Do you have a system for presenting your products/services as solutions? Or do you improvise?

6. Do you have a system for dealing with the price objection? Or do you improvise?

7. Do you have a system for preparing sales proposals? Or do you improvise?

8. Do you have a system for following-up? Or do you improvise?

9. Do you have a system for closing the sale? Or do you improvise?

Which of these pieces (Systems) are you missing? Congratulations if you already have these NINE systems. Keep reading if you're missing any.

Do you have any idea how effective you'd be in front of all prospects/customers if you had a system for each of the major steps in your selling process?

I have to fess up here. I was a big time improvisor in the past. However, not any more. Today I rely on "Systems" to beat my goals and to achieve personal success.

You can too! Here's how:

On the flight back from my meeting with my Speaking buddies I started outlining an eBook. An eBook is delivered as a PDF file which of course can be printed. The title is, "How To Become Complete, So You Can Compete. Nine Mini Systems That Will Immediately Derail Your Competition."

Because the eBook isn't finished yet, you can reserve your copy for only $12.95. As soon as I e-mail the first copy, probably October 11th, the price will jump to $19.95.

It gets even better. As a special bonus everyone who reserves a copy of this new eBook, will also get another eBook titled, "No-Brainer Ways To Beat Your Competition At The Pricing Game." This is a $39.95 value which means you'll get both eBooks for only $12.95 and save an incredible 78%.

I'm writing this eBook especially for salespeople who are tired of improvising and tired of getting pounded by the competition.

Here's your link to reserve you eBook and to get your bonus eBook today!
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=39581&offerid=14882&q=2

One final thought about this - if you're not complete you can't compete!

Jim Meisenheimer is the No-Brainer Sales Training Guru.
His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas
that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by
contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com

Point Of Sale Products

2005-10-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

By Leon Chaddock

As a business owner your goal of selling to your customer can be enhanced by the point of sale products that you use. The point of sale is the area in which your customer comes to in order to pay for his or her items. Whether this is on the web at an ecommerce website or if it is in a retail location, the final look at what you have to offer is quite important to the customer. Point of sale products are, in fact, likely to help you to sell whatever it is that you need to if they are used correctly as marketing medium. Here are some options that you may want to consider.

Point of sale often means the cash register, the cash drawer and the receipt printer. If you are one of the many that use these aspects, making them marketing materials can help you. For example, the placement of products that you would like to get rid of near the register allows customers who haven’t spent all that they planned to to have the opportunity to spend a little more. This is quite effective when the point of sale merchandise is “marked down” or “clearance” as they know they are getting a great price on the products.

To make this effective, you should use point of sale merchandisers such as toppers for the register or attractive dispensers. Regardless of what the price is for the merchandise, just because it is there, they will look at and consider it.

Other options that you have include using your marketing dollars to present return coupons for your visitors. For example, on the back of their cash receipt is a coupon for their next visit. This will help to encourage their return in a short time period.

Whether you use point of sale merchandise, marketing materials, or even electronic options, taking advantage of the dollar at the point of sale terminal is an excellent opportunity many businesses miss.

for more information please see http://www.point-of-sale-help.co.uk

Things You Need to Know Before Joining a Direct Sales Company

2005-08-31T02:15:00.000-07:00

By Stefanie Fauquet

A lot of people are very intrigued by the idea of joining a direct sales company and being able to make extra money from home. There are a few things a first-timer in direct sales should know before signing up.

1. There are always more expenses than first expected.

This is true for any business. Even though your start up kit may be only $49.95, you will incur other expenses such as promotional supplies, and advertising, which you may not previously considered.

2. Leads will not just come pouring in.

If you want to make your business successful, you are going to have to work for it. No matter how easy you think it will be to sell or sign up people with your direct sales company, the customers are not just going to come to you. At first you might have great success with your new product, but at some point you will need to put in some real work to introduce your business to new customers.

3. You will never be able to avoid the phone.

With the internet being so useful nowadays, it is logical to think you can only network and connect with people online. This may be true if you expect minimal success. To truly make your direct sales business blossom, the telephone is a must. This is the time to get rid of your phone phobias and realize the phone is a key to success in direct sales.

4. You need to have a plan.

Before you ever even join a direct sales company, you need to have a plan. Once you have contacted all your friends and family about your new business, where are you going to go next? If you plan ahead of time on how you are going to approach your business, you will not waste any time in the future.

5. Attitude is everything.

Having a great attitude will get you far in business. Never sign up with a company with a product or service that you are not truly passionate about. When you present a company that you are not proud to be apart of, it shows. Your enthusiasm for your product will make others want to buy from you. An ultimately, this is what direct sales is all about.

Stefanie Fauquet is the owner of top Direct Sales Resource site designed to help Work at Home Moms build a profitable Direct Sales Business, while being able to stay home with their kids. Visit http://www.workathomemomonline.com today!

Expert Qualities in Sales

2005-08-31T02:13:00.000-07:00

By Jay Conners

If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned a particular over the counter drug to you, or a particular type of food that was healthy, chances are, you would listen to this advice, than go out and buy the product.

Why is it that when a doctor recommends a product, people buy it without any hesitation, without talking it over with their spouse, and without asking any questions.

The main reason being, people respect and trust their doctors, they see them as experts on medical topics, even though they are not authorities on every subject.

The relationship between a doctor and patient is built on trust and developed over time, therefore a doctor doesn’t have to sell anything, he simply has to recommend things, and people will buy.

Unfortunately, for sales people, it just isn’t that easy. Here are a few ways you can begin to command the respect of your customers so that they will see you as an authority on the products you sell.

1. Gaining trust

Work at getting your customer to trust you. This can be hard in the beginning because you and your customer are meeting for the very first time. Start out by getting to know your customer, look for things that you might have in common. Let them know that building a relationship with them is more important to you than the products you sell.

Listen carefully to them and explain anything and everything in plain English so that they will understand. Don’t be pushy, let them go at their own pace, but keep the conversation going. The more time you spend with your customer, the better, because by spending time with them, they will get know you better. When they get to know you better, they begin to trust you.

2. Product knowledge

Know your products, study them inside and out. Your customer is going to want to know what your product can do for them, how it will make their lives easier, and how it can save them money. They are not concerned about your weekly or monthly goals.

If a customer wants to know something about your product, you want to be prepared to answer, so study your products. Would you buy a product from someone who didn’t know anything about the product, I wouldn’t.

3. Be accessible

Always be available to your customer, give them your cellular phone number as well as your office phone number. By giving them your cell number you have just taken your first step to personalizing your business relationship. Make your customer understand that you are available to answer any questions they may have, or to discuss any concerns they may have.

Keep in mind, by having them become comfortable calling you, you are giving yourself an opportunity to up sell every time they call you. Or you can just simply make them aware of any new products you have, or any new promotions going on.

Remember, building relationships is about trust. If your customers trust you, than they will do business with you. If your customer likes you and trusts you, they will most likely refer their family and friends to you.

Make it a personal goal to get to a point in the relationships you have with your customers to recommend them your products as opposed to selling them. Good luck

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

3 Ways To Sell and Have Fun Doing It

2005-06-27T02:05:00.000-07:00

By Jay Conners

There are many ways to sell and have fun doing it, but some times we really need to step outside the box and do something a little different if not drastic.

Listed below are the three fun and exciting ways to take that giant leap and start having fun selling your product!

• The Sidewalk Sale
• Supermarkets
• Block Party

The Sidewalk Sale

If you are looking to put a big push on your production and obtain a lot of applications in one day, then the sidewalk sale is the way to go!

Exactly what is the sidewalk sale?

Keep reading...

The sidewalk sale is when you take one full day out of the week, preferably a Friday, because people tend to be more relaxed and receptive, and set up a table on the sidewalk outside of your office and have two to three reps manning it at all times.

Tie balloons to the end of your table to attract attention, and give out freebies such as pens, and post it notes. Also have food available, this will attract people in droves, food such as cookies and lemon aid, or you can really go crazy and have a pop corn machine, or a hot dog griller, these props will definitely attract attention and put people in front of you.

Have lots of literature to hand out, business cards handy, and applications ready for the taking!

Play loud but decent music in the background, and be loud and cheerful, whatever get the attention of the public.

As cheezy as this may all sound, it works, trust me, I’ve done it! Besides it’s a great way to spend your work day, and have fun selling your products!

The Supermarket

The next time you are in your local supermarket, take a good look around. As you walk the aisles, take a good look around. Notice how many people who are not affiliated with the supermarket are selling their product. There are usually two or three. This believe it or not, is a lot!

So why can’t you sell your product in the supermarket? What is stopping you? Ask to speak with the manager, and explain that you would like to set up a small table in an out of the way place so that you could sell your product.

Make sure you are prepared to explain yourself clearly, and that your only objective is to offer the customers of the supermarket an added extra convenience!

I must admit, this is a tough go, but if you get your foot in the door, you are golden, I know, I’ve done it!

The supermarket I set my table up in averaged eighteen thousand customers per week, imagine the potential!

Block Parties

Keep an eye out in your weekly paper, or better yet, those free community papers all towns seem to have that come out weekly or monthly. A lot of times during the spring or summer, towns will have block parties or perhaps they call it a festival.

If you have ever been to one of these festivals, you have noticed that they close down an entire street, usually the one that runs through the heart of town. It is here that all of the vendors flock to sell their products out on the street, or from a booth or table on the sidewalk. There is no reason why you can’t jump on this and get involved! All you need are the same props you used for your sidewalk sale. Trust me, this works, I’ve done it!

There is a down side to this however, and that is, these festivals usually take place on Saturday, and you may be subject to making a donation in order to participate. But hey! It’s only once a year, so go for it! You’ll have fun. I did!

Jay Conners is the owner of the on-line mortgage resource center http://www.jconners.com where you can find all of your sales and marketing needs,as well as articles and news letters. He is also a partner with http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company, specializing in fresh exclusive and non-exclusive leads.

Top 10 Ways to Maximize Your Approachability

2005-06-24T23:37:00.000-07:00

By Scott Ginsberg

After reading and researching thousands of books, articles and other resources on communication, first impressions, networking and conversation, I’ve learned one thing: none of them address what approachability means. Or maybe they just don’t take the time to define it, stress its importance and offer suggestions on how to maximize it.

That research was my impetus for writing The Power of Approachability. I wanted to give people a clear picture of what the idea meant, along with many small tips and suggestions to put that idea to use – one conversation at a time.

So, straight from the pages of the book, here are my Top Ten Ways to Maximize Your Approachability.

Ready to Engage
The word approachability derives from the Latin verb appropriare, which means “to come nearer to.” Interesting. It doesn’t say anything about the approach-er or the approach-ee. Just “to come nearer to.” So the first idea to remember is that approachability is a two way street. It’s both you stepping onto someone else’s front porch; and you inviting someone to step onto your front porch.

Although this article will address both sides of the street, here’s an example of the former. When you arrive at a meeting, event, party or anywhere in which many conversations will take place, prepare yourself. Be “ready to engage” with conversation topics, questions and stories in the back of your mind ready to go as soon as you meet someone. This will help you avoid those awkward “How’s the weather” type of discussions.

CPI
This acronym stands for the Common Point of Interest. It’s an essential element to every conversation and interaction. Your duty, as you meet new people, or even as you talk with those you already know, is to discover the CPI as soon as possible. It connects people to you. It allows them to feel more comfortable talking to you. And it increases your approachability inasmuch as people will be magnetized to you due to the commonality you share.

A great tip is to ask the right type of questions. Similar to our first example, “ready to engage,” you don’t want to ask people about the weather. You can do better than that! Instead, ask questions that begin with “What’s your favorite…” “Tell me the best…” or “When was the last time…” The CPI is almost guaranteed to be discovered.

Flavored Answers
In the event that one of those Fruitless Questions like “How’s it going?” “What’s up?” or “How are you?” comes up, don’t fall into the F.I.N.E. trap. In fact, fine isn’t even a word. No, seriously! I looked the word up in 23 different dictionaries and it wasn’t listed! Upon further research I discovered that F.I.N.E. is an acronym for “Feelings I’m Not Expressing.”

A great technique is to offer a Flavored Answer to a Fruitless Question. Instead of “fine,” try “Amazing!” “Any better and I’d be twins!” or “Everything is beautiful.” Your conversation partner will instantly change his or her demeanor as they smile and, most of the time, inquirer further to find out what made you say that answer. Because nobody expects it. And offering a true response to magnify the way you feel is a perfect way to share yourself with others, or “make yourself personally available” to others.

Don’t Cross Your Arms
Even if it’s cold, even if you’re bored, even if you’re tired and don’t want to be there – don’t cross your arms. It’s such a simple, subconscious non-verbal cue that too many people practice and it hinders their approachability.

As a result, people won’t want to “bother” you. They will form the impression that you are defensive, nervous, judgmental, close minded or skeptical. Honestly, would you want to approach someone like that? I know I wouldn’t.

Don’t Assume
Every time you assume, you end up making an … yeah, yeah, yeah – we get it. Or do we? How many times have we uttered one of the following sentences, only to be stricken with a terrible case of Foot-In-Mouth Disease?

You must be new here?
How’s work going?
Do you remember me?

Remember, just because someone walks in whom you’ve never seen before – doesn’t mean he’s new. Or just because you’re at a networking meeting – doesn’t mean everyone in attendance has a job. And believe me, not everyone you remember – remembers you.

Approachability is a function of comfort, so it’s important to sidestep these moments of embarrassment with Success Sentences. These are phrases that allow the other person to offer you’re the information you need to know. Examples include, “I’m not sure we’ve met before,” “What are you working on this week?” and “I’m Scott, we met last month at the Chamber meeting.”

Options for Communication
Your friends, colleagues, customers and coworkers will chose to communicate with you in different ways. Some will choose face to face, some will email, others will call, while others will do a little of everything. The bottom line is: make all of them available. On your business cards, email signatures, websites or marketing materials, let people know that can get in touch with you in whatever manner they choose. Sure, you might prefer email. But what matters most is the comfort of the other person and their ability to communicate effectively.

A good idea is to give people as many options to contact you as possible. There’s nothing more annoying to a “phone person” than when she discovers she can’t get a hold of you unless she emails you.

Email Signature
Whatever program you use for email - Outlook, Eudora, Yahoo, Hotmail - find out how to customize your signature. There's nothing more frustrating than receiving an email from someone who wants to talk further, get together or have you send them something that doesn't have any personal information in the email. So at the end of every email you send, always cross reference the following information:

Name
Title
Company/Organization
Mailing address
At least two phone numbers
Fax number
Email address
Website
A sentence or two about yourself, your company or your job

Think of it this way: have you ever received a handwritten letter from someone that had no return address stamped on the envelope?

Always Have Business Cards
Have you ever told a story about a successful, serendipitous business encounter that ended with the phrase, “Thank God I had one of my business cards with me that day!”? If so, great! You’re practicing approachability by being “easy to reach.”

If not, you’ve no doubt missed out on valuable relationships and opportunities. And it happens – people forget cards, get their supply reprinted or change jobs. But the bottom line is; there is a time and place for networking: ANY time and ANY place. Because you just never know whom you might meet.

No Fear
They won’t say hello back to me. They won’t be interested in me. I will make a fool of myself.

This is the number one reason people don’t start conversations. However, practice will make this fear fade away. The more you often you start conversations, the better you will become at it. So, be the first to introduce yourself or say hello. When you take an active instead of a passive role, your skills will develop and there will be less of a chance for rejection. Also understand the gains vs. losses. For example, what’s so bad about a rejection from someone you don’t even know?

Wear Your Nametag
I’ve heard every possible complaint about wearing nametags, and all of them can be validated. Case in point:

Nametags look silly – yes, they do. But remember, everyone else is wearing them too.
Nametags ruin my clothes – not if you wear them on the edge of your lapel or use cloth-safe connectors like lanyards and plastic clips.
But I already know everybody – no you don’t. You may think you do, but new people come in and out of businesses and organizations all the time.
But everyone already knows me – no they don’t. Even the best networkers know there’s always someone new to meet.

Your nametag is your best friend for several reasons. First of all, a person’s name is the single context of human memory most forgotten. And people are less likely to approach you if they don’t know (or forgot) your name. Secondly, it’s free advertising for you and your company. Third, nametags encourage people to be friendly and more approachable. TRUST me on that one!

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, "the world's foremost field expert on nametags" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He works with people and organizations who want to become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

Selling the Difficult: How to Sell What People Don't Understand How to Buy

2005-06-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

By Sharon Drew Morgen

I'll play a seller, using conventional selling methods, selling something difficult to understand; you be the prospective buyer. As we go through the process together, note your reactions, how your beliefs are being challenged, what 'objections' and emotions come up for you as I try to 'sell' you. Once we're done with that component, I'll review how it would be different using Buying Facilitation; hopefully you'll be able to take that to the bank.

Here we go (and please excuse me for being a bit playful and provocative. I can't pass up the opportunity!):

CONVENTIONAL SELLING

As a subscriber and reader of my newsletter, you have probably garnered some understanding of the Buying Facilitation process. You have probably read Selling with Integrity, or gone to our site, or read several of the past newsletters.

So... Just out of curiosity... What's going on with your sales effort? Your sales training effort? Are you getting the numbers you want? Are you meeting your projections? If not, why are you still using that same sales program you're using? Have you thought of doing something different? What would stop you from using a new method to get better results?

You must know by now, obviously, that my methodology would bring in the best results of any 'sales' training. So why aren't you calling me and purchasing a training program?

Why aren't you buying hundreds of copies of Selling with Integrity to give to your sales people?

Here I could offer you a pitch as to why Buying Facilitation is better than SPIN or Solution Selling or Sandler. I could tell you why and how it works better - to close more sales and make your sellers brand ambassadors, not to mention give pure value-add by making your sales people true consultants to the buyer. Yadayadayada.

Hey. Maybe you're not buying because you don't believe or understand that Buying Facilitation would help your sales people be better consultants. Or bring in more revenue.

Or is it because you are comfortable with what you've got in place now? Or that you don't want to go through the change process? Or that you think you are already doing the best you can do? Or that you love your current vendor? Or is it because you think that if you add something new you'd have to throw away the huge investment you've already made in sales training?

Of course, I can handle the objections to all of the above!! I can tell you that if you are thinking any of the above, you've made an error in judgment - and obviously my job now is to dispel these objections and make you see the TRUTH - that my product will be better.......

Got it?

How did that feel? What do you know now that you didn't know before? About my product? About your needs? About your choices? About your willingness to change? About what your decision team needs to notice or consider before you do anything differently?

How do you feel about being pushed into a corner? About being 'wrong' on the end of my 'right'? About feeling dumb to my being smart? About your confusion and need to defend your beliefs?

By 'selling', I end up juxtaposing our belief systems and our behaviors. Even though I set this all up 'nicely', and am willing to be your 'consultant', you know darn well that my overriding desire is to sell you my training and get you to see that using my stuff would be better than what you've got.

PRODUCT VS. NEED VS. DECIDING

Obviously, the fact that I have a 'great product' is not good enough. As a prospective buyer you'd have to figure out:

--If you are ready, willing, and able to make a change now;

--If there is anything you are actually missing;

--How to get your team to want to change;

--Whether or not to believe that doing something different would make a difference;

--What you'd want to get out of a training that's different from what you have now;

--What you would be willing to put up with to get that change;

--How your culture/company would handle a shift at this point in its life cycle.

And even if you don't mind change or the chaos change brings, you would have to convince your team to buy in to the need to do something different - and that doing something different would include an out-of-the-box buying-support method vs. a sales method.

In other words - and I know I've said this - it doesn't matter what your product is or how you sell it if the buyer doesn't know how to align the culture and buying team around a decision. And it's NOT just a decision about the problems your product solves - it's about the entire environment that holds and maintains the problem.

NEED AND PROBLEMS AND DECISIONS

Let's take a bit more time now and look at the system here.

You've got a great product. Worked hard at creating it, testing it, piloting it. You've gotten good press and your competition can't touch you.

But those prospects you've targeted - those exact people who need your product, who are suffering because they are not using your product - don't think they need you. They kindly listen to your pitches. They admit they are having problems in just the area your product handles. They even know they cannot fix the problem doing what they are doing. But they aren't buying.

What's stopping them? What's making it more viable for them to keep doing what they are doing - losing money or time or market share or employee/partner good will - rather than buy your product and solve their problem?

I've heard many, many sales folks say that the reason their product isn't being purchased is because buyers don't understand the product or why they need it; or they get confused between your product and others that perform almost-similar tasks and believe them to be comparable.

What's going on?

Sellers often think they need to educate their prospects. Call centers and financial institutions are famous for spending huge amounts of time and money in giving their reps lots of product training, believing that if they can pitch or present the features and benefits skillfully, buyers will know how to buy. Yet information does not teach someone how to make a decision (see Newsletters of 3/7/01 and 1/17/02 about the differences between information and criteria).

As we saw in my initial example, people can have all the information in the world about a product and that won't teach them how to make a buying decision if they believe that they are doing as well as they can be doing given all the factors involved.

What do you need to be doing to help them understand that they need to buy your product?

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Let's take a look at how your prospect experiences his/her environment - those areas that you don't necessarily think about when you are selling your product.

1. it's working the way it's always worked.

People can't always tell that there is something wrong. When a software company called me recently to bring Buying Facilitation in to their call center, they claimed they wanted to become more 'customer centric.' Yet they only had an incoming call center: they were presenting a problem to their prospects by giving the prospects a one-way buying channel. It's hard to be customer centric when you are limiting the ways that buyers can connect.

2. the work environment is created around maintaining the problem.

The call center folks did not notice there was a problem; it had always been that way. All of the six sigma measurement tools and the sales teams and the management initiatives were based on this particular type of sales strategy.

Was it customer centric? Not at all. It needed to be changed - but first the client had to recognize there was a problem.

A more conventional sales approach would be to say:

"Gee. You've got a problem. Buyers can't call you back if they have questions, or if they need to go speak with their bosses before making a decision. You're cutting off a huge range of buying possibilities."

The Facilitative Question I asked was: "How do you plan on mitigating the distance between being customer centric and having a one-way buying channel?"

This Facilitative Question offered the understanding that:

1. there was a problem that needed to be fixed and that needed several layers of management and skill to fix it;

2. they had some decisions to be made around what 'customer centric' might look like;

3. an action had to be taken in order to be congruent with their goals;

4. I was a consultant who would support them in recognizing problems and support them in discovering their own internal solutions.

5. a change means examining all the decisions - including all the peripheral areas that convene around the problem - that got them where they are, and recognizing that something's not working efficiently. By using my expertise to walk with them in their own field of expertise, and by using a Facilitative Question to help them recognize and potentially fix the problem using their own resources, I actually taught my prospect how to notice that they were less than efficient and they needed to think differently.

If I had just told them I had a product that would help them become more customer centric wouldn't have gotten them closer to a decision.

CHANGE

When you are selling a product that folks don't seem to understand, it's not a problem with your product, or with your marketing material. It's a decisioning problem: how will folks know what they need to consider to be ready, willing, or able to decide to change, and having made that decision, how to choose the ways they are willing to change.

What needs to happen in their environment for them to recognize:

1. what's missing and how it got that way;

2. that they can/cannot fix it themselves;

3. the cultural/internal issues that need to be addressed in order for them to do something different and have an environment that does not get destroyed through the chaos of change.

Make no mistake: when you suggest that a prospect should bring your product into an environment that has worked very well without it, you are suggesting major change.

HELPING PROSPECTS MAKE A DECISION

I can't express strongly enough that you can't sell without a buyer (People laugh when I say that, but sales is based on selling - not having people buy!). What needs to happen to have you start considering making your sales people neutral navigators to help the client make their best decision? And I'm not talking about consultative selling.

Consultative selling does not go far enough: it only uses questions based around the problem that is solved by the seller's product. There is a whole environment/culture that has created and maintained the problem that needs to make changes before it's willing to address a fix.

I'm going to go back to my tag line, as it seems to fit here: Do you want to sell? Or have someone buy?

It's time to become facilitators. Then buyers understand exactly how to purchase your product.

Sharon Drew Morgen is the author of NYTimes Best seller Selling with Integrity. She speaks, teaches and consults globally around her new sales model, Buying Facilitation.

http://www.newsalesparadigm.com
http://www.sharondrewmorgen.com
512-457-0246
Morgen Facilitations, Inc.
Austin, TX

Overcoming the Fear of Selling

2005-06-20T01:34:00.000-07:00

By Kara Kelso and Anita DeFrank

For many of you the Fear of Selling is a huge challenge and obstacle for you from day to day. The first thing you need to do is find out exactly what it is you're afraid of. Are you afraid of success? Believe it or not there this is an actual fear of some folks. Are you afraid of failure or rejection? Do you fear being perceived as being pushy? Do you (secretly of course) fear that your product may not meet the expectations of your customer? You can't come up with a solution if you don't know what the problem is.

There's a huge misconception in direct sales being that you think you're 'imposing' on your friends, family or just a customer in general. As long as you feel as though you're imposing...you are. You need to love your product and feel as though you are offering a service. You're filling a need.

People are natural-born sellers. We just don't realize it when we're not making money from it. Let's say you go to a movie that you loved and you have a friend that you know would enjoy it too. Wouldn't you recommend it to him/her?

So why is it that as soon as we go into sales we automatically feel as though we can’t recommend the products we sell. Why is it that we tend to feel guilty because we’re going to make a profit off of it?

If you are one that has a fear of selling, take some time today to figure out the cause of your fear, and take action to fix it!

~~~~~~~

About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting: http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

9 Packaging Problems That Lose Sales

2005-06-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

By JoAnn Hines

You have a great product, but it's not flying off the shelf. Is one of these packaging problems turning sales away?

1) You don't understand your market.

There are so many new markets and retail outlets out there. Don't forget Internet marketing too. The question is can one package service them all? The answer is no. There are features that work to your benefit in all types of packaging, but in general attributes that appeal to one audience won't appeal to another.

What to do:

Refine your niche attributes. Is your product broad based? Does it appeal to a special target audience? Do you understand what this group is looking for in product packaging? I have several research studies that focus on packaging that appeals to niches: Women and Boomers (to order these special reports return the word "research" via email).

2) The packaging is too big or too small.

In my recent research for the Packaging and Design Summit, I uncovered an interesting fact. Products that work well for children, especially kid proof packaging, simply doesn't fit the requirements of the over 50 market.

What to do:

Keep size in mind when designing your product packaging. Who is actually going to use this product and how? Is there a shelf life or consume by date that can impact the usage factor?

Tidbit:
Women said: keep it easy to carry and easy to store.
Boomers said: keep it simple and easy to open.

3) The package is too hard to open:

Every Christmas and holiday time we read ranting and raving over packages that simply cannot be opened easily or require the aid of scissors. Much of this packaging has come about for specific reasons: security, tamper evident, counterfeiting and so on. But think about it the next time you try to open a product. Was all that packaging necessary?

What to do:

Try testing with a focus group outside the world of packaging. Many times a person unfamiliar with packaging can identify a problem area that a packaging pro can't. I did a segment for NBC TV as their packaging guru. They ended the story with people ripping and tearing open the packaging that I had so carefully explained. Boy, was that an eye opener. Look for my upcoming article in the June issue of Global Cosmetics Industry.

"Don't think like a package designer. Think like a consumer"

4) The package is too generic:

Is it trying to be all things to all people and as a result, it doesn't appeal to anyone. Have you ever been totally confused when looking at a product package? What am I supposed to do with it? Or what's the purpose? This is a total turn off.

What to do:

Tell people up front what's inside, how to use it and what the benefits are. Simpler is better -- especially when we are in a hurry.

5) The package doesn't fit with today's life styles.

Got any 20lb bags of potatoes lying around? If you are like me, 20 lbs can last a year. Large quantities and amounts do have a special market but generally people are buying in smaller size units. In fact, one of the fasted growing market segments is ready to use and consume. When I was in China ready to use was the only type packaging available. Single servings were huge there and now they are becoming hot here.

6) People are confused by the packaging.

More product iterations mean more confusion at retail. Yes, I know brand managers are constantly creating new and improved versions, but get real! How many new and improved products are really different from their predecessor?

If you want a good laugh be sure and read my upcoming article in the June issue of Packaging Design Magazine: "Packaging Design for Overworked, Time-Crunched and Over-The-Edge Consumers."

7) The package doesn't fit the retail outlet. There are myriad of cross marketing opportunities available. What works in a club store certainly won't work at a convenience outlet. Consider where your package will be merchandised.

What to do:

Ensure you have the appropriate package size for the retail outlet. Go to a store and see how people shop. It could affect the product's success.

8) The package isn't contemporary.

There are a lot of old brands that are repackaging their image. Old brands have been revitalized with new and updated packaging. Old brands can lose favor with the consumer simply because they look old.

What to do:

Keep on top of important trends. Remember when the Pillsbury Dough Boy went on a diet? Just kidding, but he did get slimmer and trimmer in his image. The same is happening to Ronald MacDonald. He is getting a makeover too. Even long-standing icons have to keep up with the times.

9) The package is too gimmicky or doesn't work.

Keep in mind, simple is better. Products that get too complicated only appeal to a certain market segment, and it's not boomers, the largest share of the purchasing market. The electronics industry seems to have lost track of this fact. Make sure it doesn't apply to your product.

Whatever the problem is, it can be corrected by understanding your target audience. Learn what they want and need. Make some adjustments and watch packages fly off the shelf.

Got packaging problems? I can help. I teach people how to package products consumers will buy. I make it easy to answer your problems with email and voice consultation. Get advice from the top expert in consumer packaging. Email the Packaging Diva @ PackagingDiva@aol.com

Look for the Packaging Diva @ Prestige Products for the Personal Care Industry - June 22-23, 2005 Chicago, IL - http://www.chemconference.com/events/PrestigeProd05/index.php?page=agenda&eventsfolder=PrestigeProd05&menuTitle=Prestige
Products
Packaging and Design Summithttp://www.packaginganddesignsummit.com

The Biggest Mistake In Selling!

2005-06-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

By Virden Thornton

Some trainers and sales managers teach that there are prospects that just need a little more time in the decision-making process. They explain that a decision-maker’s stall is not always a put off and they just need to think a bit more about their decision, or that they have to sell the idea to someone else. Therefore, many sales and service industry professionals accept the stall, “I’ve got to think about it.” at face value, believing that a buyer truly has an interest in what they are selling and just needs more time to think about the benefits of the offer. However, in their hearts many sales professionals know better, but hope usually wins out in the end and they accept the stalling tactic of a prospect as truth and continue to work with them for many weeks or months in the delusion that something positive will come from their persistence.

As many seasoned sales professionals know, 90 to 95 percent of the time when you hear a decision-maker say, ‘’I’ve got to think it over,” it’s not a stalling tactic at all, but simply a polite way of telling you “no.” To reduce the number of polite “turn downs,” as you close your presentations; from this point forward, make certain that you give the decision-maker permission to tell you “no.” This technique will reduce tension in the transaction and encourage candor as you search to find the reason a buyer initially decided to meet with you. (Logic suggests that if you are able to discuss your product or service at any length, there is a good possibility that your prospect has a need.) To give permission to a decision-maker to tell you “no,” just say something like this:

“John, if what I propose today will not work for you or your company (firm), please tell me, so that we don’t drag this transaction out over an additional meeting or two. I don t want you to tell me ‘no,’ but I also don’t want to keep bugging you, if what I’ve shown you will not work for you or your organization.”

By giving your prospect permission to tell you “no,” you take most of the tension and pressure out of your closing, creating a climate where candor and openness prevail. This climate will help you to discover the true feelings of your prospect about your products or services as you probe to find a prospect’s needs.

Whenever you hear the words, “I’ve got to think it over,” you are receiving an objection. Stalls like this and objections need to be isolated in a sales transaction to make certain that you have covered each of the issues or concerns of your prospect, customer or client. For most objections you can just ask, “If it weren’t for this issue or problem, is there anything else keeping you from purchasing today?” However, to isolate the objection, “I’ve got to think more about this.” just ask the following questions to help put the “I’ve got to think it over.” stall into some perspective:

1. Are you still having problems with our pricing?

2. Do you have a problem with the integrity of the company (firm)?

3. Have I said or done anything to keep you from purchasing today?

After asking these three questions, just wait until the decision-maker tells you why he can’t purchase or won’t sign with you. By asking the questions listed here, in most transactions you’ll learn exactly where you stand to know if you truly are working with the decision-maker and there is an interest in completing the transaction. For a proven system that eliminates most stalls, check out my selling skills manual at: http://www.thesellingedge.com/manual1.htm or the sales tools at: http://www.thesellingedge.com/tools.htm

Here's wishing you every success in your sales activities!

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, tradeshows and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm.

Virden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com

Selling – Remember These Ten Rules and Succeed

2005-06-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

By Bill Robb

There are thousands of books and seminars on how to succeed. What many don’t make explicit is the requirement to be a great salesperson – even if you’re selling an idea!

Here are the ten simple but powerful rules that will guide you in all your selling decisions.

* Helping. Get into the mindset of respecting and helping the customer. The hard sell today does not work.

* Knowledge. Know your product/service, customer and industry inside out – be able to answer almost any question.

* Benefits. Think of how each of the features of your product/service can benefit the customer and always mention that first – right at the beginning.

* Presentable. Be neat, presentable and clean and that includes smelling good too. Dress as the audience expects.

* Rehearse. Practice your presentation over and over gain. Use audio and video tape, do it in front of the mirror and ask friends and colleagues to offer suggestions. Do not underestimate this.

* The 70 – 30 rule. Listen more than you talk – ask questions – find out customers concerns so you can ease them away.

* Enthusiasm. Show enthusiasm, energy, friendliness and professionalism and show confidence in the product/service. Mention nothing negative – even if the weather is lousy.

* Easy. Make it easy to handle, try, test the goods or services and then make it so easy to buy.

* Boldness. Ask for the business.

* Friendly. People buy from people. Never argue or make the customer look silly. Here’s a list of some of the things that annoy your customers:

+ Spread himself out in my living room
+ Used the toilet and didn’t lift the lid
+ Had smelly breath/ body odour
+ ried to pressure me
+ Didn’t listen to me
+ When I said it wasn’t for me she insisted
+ Tried to convince me I was wrong
+ Talked down to me as if I was stupid or inferior
+ Hinted that I was stupid for not seeing the value of what he was offering me
+ Avoided answering my questions
+ Kept saying bad tings about other companies
+ Went over to my bookcase and took down a book and made some comment
+ Kept talking about his children
+ Didn’t have an order form needed to progress the sale
+ Was too smarmy – kept using my name all the time as a sales technique
+ Spoke too quickly and didn’t give me much time in the car – felt we had to hurry
+ Made me feel I was bothering him – that I was interrupting him

Of course you don’t do any of these!

ALL SUCCESS WITH YOUR SELLING!

Bill is managing director of Brilliant Web Workshops and is committed to discovering, demystifying, distilling and disseminating practical knowledge to help people do even better. He is putting most of his workshops online so people can do them anywhere, anytime. http://www.brilliantwebworkshops.com

Closing Sales Is Not A Problem, It’s A Process

2005-06-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

By Virden Thornton

In my opinion, the most overrated topic in sales training is the subject of closing. In year’s past, it seems the object of most sales training courses was to fill the heads of participants with as many closing techniques as possible. The logic was simple, if the “Ben Franklin” close didn’t work, you could rummage around in your head for the the “secondary question” technique, the “order-blank” method or the “forced choice” close to tie off your sale. Selling in the old school of training was basically learning 54 or 84 ways to close.

Today, most successful sales professionals know that if you use a consultative sales process, one with a series of selling steps like those listed below, the close (asking for the business) will literally take care of itself. Closing is an integral part of the following; a solid sales process--not a specific stand alone technique:

- Building rapport and trust;

- Obtaining your prospect's attention;

- Probing for problems, opportunities, needs and values;

- Demonstrating products based on the specific needs you have discovered,

- Asking trial closing questions and answering objections, then

- Asking for the business.

By first building rapport with a prospective customer or client, a sales or service industry professional can create the trust that our research shows is vital to consistently obtaining sales success. Through using an attention getting provocative question and then taking away your offer, you can open your prospect's mind to answering your questions and later accept the suggestions that you make in your sales presentation. By asking open-ended, probing questions, you can learn about hidden needs and problems that can be solved by your products and/or services. Through effectively demonstrating your products and/or services, answering objections and asking trial closing questions, you then set the stage for closing the sale. All that is left in this process is to ask for the business.

In my self-directed learning manual entitled Sales Success Strategies, (see www.TheSellingEdge.com/manual1.htm) I explore the steps that must precede a successful close. This unique learning guide won't give you a dozen closing techniques to memorize, nor a list of power words that will impel your prospect, client or customer to sign on the dotted line, because these words and closes simply don't work with today's sophisticated consumers. If you take time to review them and apply them to your daily sales activities, the ideas discussed can make a significant difference in your ability to regularly generate business for your company or professional firm.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publications, Inc. Menlo Park, California. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides.

Virden assists clients through a unique personal coaching (telephone)program. He has taught at the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas and the School Of Entrepreneurship, Marriott School Of Management, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com

How To Dramatically Improve Sales Closing Ratios

2005-06-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

By Virden Thornton

A closing question asks for a final decision. A trial-closing question is one that asks prospects for an opinion. Trial-closings should be non-threatening questions that ask how your prospective customer feels about what you have presented. Typical trial-closing questions can build in their directness as these examples illustrate:

• “How does this approach sound?”

• “Which of the two demonstrated packages do you like best?”

• “Do you see how this approach can save you money?”

• “What are your feelings about our guarantee program?”

• “Do you need additional information before making a decision these products and/or services?"

Ron Willingham, one of today’s top sales trainers has stated, “From the time you begin your demonstration to the point you feel a close is appropriate, your objective is to get opinions, reactions, feelings or feedback.” Without asking trial-closing questions you’ll never have enough information to effectively close a sale.

When a sales or service industry professional closes after a presentation, tying off a sale is made much easier when trial-closing questions are executed throughout the presentation phase of your discussion. For example:

“Paul, how do you feel about our program as it has been explained to you?”

- or -

“Paul, can you see how the cost savings in our plan will more than offset the cost of installation?”

When you close on an appointment, tying off an appointment (sale) is made much easier when you use trial closings throughout the conversation. For example:

“Bob, with your busy schedule, would an afternoon or early morning meeting time be best for you?”

- or -

“What this means to you, John, is that you can receive a free analysis on your present services with no obligation to purchase our services. Can you see how a 15, no more than 20 minute meeting might clarify some of your issues with your present vendor and give you the information you need to make a sound decision?”

As you receive a favorable response from your trial closings, it really makes it difficult for your prospects to give you an arbitrary “no,” when you later ask them to purchase your product or package of products that you have demonstrated. As you practice using trial-closing questions, you'll watch your closing ratios and profitability dramatically improve.

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Pilot, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Crisp Publicantions a dividion of Thompson Learning. He has also authored a client acclaimed Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. To obtain a substantial discount on two of Virden's new manuals, 101 Sales Myths and Organizing For Sales Success, check the listings on The $elling Edge, Inc. website at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/book1.htm.

Everything in Life is Selling

2005-06-09T04:07:00.000-07:00

By Frank Salisbury

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and it is. Whether as a child you cry until you get what you want; whether as an adult you provide a service to your employer in return for payment; or whether as an individual you make sure that you look your best before meeting someone on a date, they can all be defined as selling.

Selling has been with us probably forever. It could be said that the first salesperson was probably the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. Selling apples in return for infinite wisdom may seem far removed from your own sales activities but they are nevertheless linked.

Selling is a professional skill which can be learned by anyone wanting to learn. Sales skills are not inherent. You can learn the same skills used by the most successful of salespeople but that does not guarantee that you will be successful in sales. As with anything that is skills based, ultimate success relies on internal motivational factors such as commitment, drive, determination and resilience.

There are several of things to bear in mind: -

• There is nothing new in selling. Most courses and most theories of selling look remarkably the same, simply because the basics of selling hold true whichever environment you work in.

• Selling is a lot simpler than some people make it out to be. That simplicity however belies the need to work hard at it. Acquiring selling skills requires significant practice.

• Selling is an honourable profession with a dishonourable reputation

• Some people appear to do it naturally

The problem is that whilst the skills of how to do this can be learned by everybody, not everybody wants to learn the skills. It is possible to provide you with all the knowledge and skills you will need to be a successful salesperson but unless you have the right attitude towards selling then the acquisition of this knowledge and the practice of the skills required will be wasted.

Here are some basic principles about selling and your role in the success of your company which should be the foundation stone of your route to sales excellence:

Treat Selling as a Profession

The reason why most people do not regard selling as a profession is that too many salespeople do not treat it as a profession. Professionals embark upon their careers by studying the subject in some depth; become qualified in their profession; practice the skills relentlessly; and update their knowledge and skills regularly.

Many salespeople adopt some of these principles in terms of product knowledge, but forget that the main tools of their trade are not the products they use, but the way in which they communicate. If we were to say that salespeople speak, then it would be an over-simplification of the power of speech. What made Humphrey Bogarde, Richard Burton, or James Mason famous had as much to do with the sound of their voices than of their acting ability.

Knowledge therefore should not be restricted to what you sell, but how you sell. Studying psychology, communication, and relationships should be as much a part of your induction to sales as a history of the company. Learning about how people react to one another is just as important as where your products are placed in the market. Understanding about buying motivation is as vital to a professional salesperson as understanding how the balance sheet works.

Accept Personal Responsibility for Sales Success

There is no such thing as luck in selling. Successful salespeople make their own luck. They engineer to be in the right place at the right time with the right product. Your sales success is dependent upon you and no one else. Theirs might contribute to it, in the same way that you contribute to the overall success of your company, but in terms of your own performance then you are responsible. Accepting personal responsibility puts you in charge.

Understand Yourself

If you analysed what motivates you, you will be well on the road to knowing what motivates others. Self-analysis is a prerequisite for sales success. Set goals, priorities and deadlines. Those who are achievers do not rely on luck but generally have a game plan that they work to. They know what they want and work towards achieving it.

Understand that Customers will buy 'expensive' when appropriate

If people only bought what was cheap then all companies would be selling the same thing. There are companies selling items which are more expensive than yours and companies selling items which are cheaper than yours. People buy what they believe satisfies what they want. Your own house will be crammed full of things which you could not justify on price alone - your customers are the same. Most customers buy things without comparing them. Think of the last five items you bought and what comparisons you made before parting with your money.

Treat Customers how you want to be treated

An old maxim in selling is 'If you do what's right for enough other people, they will do what is right by you'. Speak to people how you would like to be spoken to. Treat them how you would like to be treated. It won't work every time, but even the times it doesn't will physically and mentally make you feel better.

Age, Gender and Experience count for nothing

Successful salespeople come in all ages, from each gender, and have varying degrees of experience. Sales success is no respecter of age or experience. Buyers will buy from people whom they trust and trust is a matter of reaction to the behaviour of others not grey hair or the sharing of the sports news. That said, image is important, and yet everybody can improve image.

Persevere

Your attitude should be that everyone wants to buy from you at some time. Providing that you keep in touch on a regular basis, one day you will be in the right place at the right time with the right proposal. Most unsuccessful salespeople stop contacting customers on the occasion just before the one on which they buy.

The best of salespeople are usually those who have doubts about their ability to the extent that they are constantly trying to improve themselves in case anybody finds them out!

Learning is a never-ending experience. Someone once said 'To cease to learn is to cease to live'. I encourage you to live a little.

Frank Salisbury is a highly experience motivational speaker, and inspiring business coach, particularly to the sales profession. Frank is recognised as a leading authority in the field of sales - including sales process design, sales performance, and sales coaching.

He strongly believes that whether we work in the public or private sector; whether our organisation is commercial or non-commercial; that we are all in sales. His favourite quote, which has become his maxim, is from Robert Louis Stevenson – ‘Everything in live is selling’. He has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars where his style has received popular acclaim for a speaker with a passion for life, and achievement.

He is Managing Director of Business & Training Solutions Ltd – a sales consultancy based in Ireland and the UK. He can be contacted at frank@btsolutions.ie. 28 Rye Close, Banbury, Oxfordshire. 0044 (0)1295250247